ABSTRACT
Collection efforts are fundamental to good intelligence-they provide the information and data that drive the entire process. Intelligence community (IC) professionals describe collection in terms of the “INTs”, which stands for “intelligence”. In reality, the “INT” suffix is misleading; information gathered is just that-raw information. It does not become intelligence until it has undergone a process of validation, processing, analysis, and dissemination. This chapter describes the major “INTs” currently employed by the IC: Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT), Measurement and Signatures Intelligence (MASINT), Financial Intelligence (FININT), and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT). It also discusses some of the variables policymakers must consider when formulating a collection plan: budgets, source credibility, and the protection of sources and methods.
